The Senate on Tuesday passed the new national minimum wage bill forwarded same day by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu.
The bill passed first, second, and third readings within an hour, approving the increase of the national minimum wage from N30,000 to N70,000.
Leading a debate on the bill, Senate Majority Leader Opeyemi Bamidele said N70,000 was agreed upon by all the parties after negotiations.
“This is part of the federal government’s short term measure to mitigate the situation in the country,” Bamidele said.
Chief Whip Mohammed Tahir Monguno said there is a need to review the minimum wage to align with economic realities.
“The review of the minimum wage used to be after every five years. It is now every three years,” Monguno said
Thereafter, the Senate dissolved into the “committee of the whole” to approve clauses of the bill.
